Common Probiotic Myths

We all now know that using probiotics is a good idea. The health of the gut reflects the health of nearly every other system in the body. However, not all probiotics are created equal. If you use probiotics, then chances are you’ve heard some of these common probiotic myths:

Myth #1: A probiotic needs to be refrigerated to be effective.

Though it’s common to find probiotics in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, refrigeration is not an indication of a good quality probiotic. In fact, it’s actually a sign of a very weak probiotic. If your probiotic cannot survive at room temperature without falling to pieces, then how do you think it will survive in your 98-degree body, much less your harsh digestive tract? Short answer: it won’t. Look for a product that maintains stability at higher temperatures.

The idea of rotating originated from the realization that many probiotics stop working after a month or two. The reason is that most probiotics are too weak to cause any lasting change in the gut. Instead of trying to “surprise” the gut with a new probiotic cocktail every month, you’re much better off finding an effective probiotic and sticking with it. A truly effective probiotic will not stop working after 1-2 months of taking it.

Myth #3: You don’t need to take a probiotic if you eat fermented foods.

Although fermented foods can be excellent prebiotics that feed your gut bacteria, they do not create lasting change. Since prebiotics are not selective, they will feed both good and bad gut bacteria. If you suspect you might have a gut infection, it’s much more effective to take a powerful probiotic that can control intestinal pathogens before introducing fermented foods to your diet.

Myth #4: A probiotic with 50 billion cells is better than a probiotic with 4 billion cells.

Though it’s easy to think MORE is always better, there is no scientific evidence to suggest the health benefits of probiotics are dose-dependent. In fact, having 50 billion CFUs in your probiotic is only helpful if you can confirm that 50 billion CFUs are surviving digestion. But survivability studies with some of the leading probiotics (250 billion CFUs) indicate that 99% of the bacterial cells in these products cannot survive digestion. This means most people are paying for products with less than 1% survivability. It’s no wonder most people find probiotics ineffective!

Most probiotics you’ll find in the store contain some combination of Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria. While these are some of the good bacteria that reside in our gut, they are very poor stomach survivors and gut colonizers. Companies have tried increasing their dosages 10-fold, protecting them in enteric-coated capsules, and storing them in cooler temperatures to improve survivability. But the end result is the same: dead probiotics.

The good news?

There’s another group of probiotic bacteria, known as Bacillus. This group of bacteria naturally resides in the gut and protects us from disease. However, we can no longer get them from our food supply. Bacillus probiotics have the ability to form protective outer shells, known as endospores. Endospores can shield them from high temperatures, pressure, UV light, acid, dehydration, and lack of oxygen. Because of this feature, Bacillus probiotics are uniquely designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the digestive tract. But that’s not all!

Bacillus probiotics have also been shown to control unwanted gut infections, tutor the immune system, and increase microbial diversity in the gut by producing their own prebiotics. If you’re tired of taking probiotics that aren’t working, give MegaSporeBiotic a shot! MegaSporeBiotic will keep working month after month because it is a true and effective probiotic.

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